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Thursday, November 13, 2014

When I wanted to teach the children at our mission the ten commandments, I looked high and low for an easy way to do it. Most of the kids we worked with were unchurched, and I needed to make it relevant and fun for them to learn. I stumbled across a way to remember the commandments with the number, and then I tweaked it for my own use. Definitely go over the traditional wording for the commandments with the kids, but then use these for easier understanding and remembering.

Now almost all of the kids at the mission can say their ten commandments, even my four year old. Hopefully this will help other kids too!

Wednesday, November 12, 2014

You may be thinking,"There is no cure for the stomach flu!" Ah, that's what I used to think, but now I use activated charcoal. When anybody in the family's stomach starts to feel not quite right, they ask for black yogurt. Sounds lovely, doesn't it? I just mix a heaping tablespoon of activated charcoal into a serving of the probiotic yogurt and they eat it up. They were squeemish at first but after finding the yogurt was only a little gritty and made their tongues black, they were okay with it. They hate to vomit and black yogurt is a welcome alternative.How does it work? Well, charcoal sucks up impurities and toxins as it goes through your body and sends them out of the body. You cannot overdose on charcoal because it does not soak into your bloodstream at all. It just passes through your digestive tract. Be aware that you will have black poop at least once.Activated charcoal may not work every time, especially if you wait until it's too late, but normally it prevents vomiting and at least helps you to be able to get through your day without feeling half dead.Online prices are normally better than local health stores. Do remember to keep your activated charcoal tightly sealed as it will suck up impurities in the air and become useless if left open.So if you're belly is feeling not so good or your child's best friend just came down with the stomach bug, eat some black yogurt and share it with your family.(Photo from how-to-boost-your-immune-system.com)

Sunday, November 9, 2014

Have you ever searched for free homeschool curriculum online after the kids have gone to bed, hoping for a miracle. Well, I have and a couple of years ago I found Easy Peasy Homeschool. This website is a godsend for families who need curriculum for several different grades and have little money to spend. Of course it is great for everyone else too.

Elective subjects include PE, music, art, and Bible. Then of course the meat and potato subjects are there too. History, Science, and Bible can be done by different levels of learners together. They study the same thing but in different ways. Many levels actually have the daily lesson with links to whatever videos or online books that are needed. The kids can do much of it on their own, which is great because independent learning is our ultimate goal. Check it out! You won't be sorry!

Thursday, November 6, 2014

Christmas will be upon us soon. We always decorate our tree and get out the manger scenes after Halloween at our house. Yes, I'm aware that the appropriate time to do this is after Thanksgiving, but we are homeschoolers, and we don't follow the rules.We put out our decorations early so we can soak up the light and joy of the holiday for as long as we can. Sometimes the holidays can move at the speed of light, just like this picture my daughter, Mary Margaret took of the tree while she was moving. It is our goal to focus on our family and others who need a friend this Thanksgiving and Christmas. I will have to intentionally slow down and not get stressed over family obligations or baking messes to make this happen. I will do my best to enjoy each moment, for life is lived in the moments that I too often overlook.This is one of my favorite parts of Luke 2, the chapter we recite each Christmas. And she brought forth her firstborn son, and wrapped him in swaddling clothes, and laid him in a manger; because there was no room for them in the inn. Luke 2:7Scratchy straw for a bed and the stench of animals all around her did not make for a wonderful birth, but I know Mary treasured that moment because it says so.But Mary kept all these things, and pondered them in her heart. Luke 2:19Lord, help me to treasure each moment, the good ones and the not so good ones because they all work together for good. Amen

I have two teenage daughters. Many people have warned about how terrible these years would be, but my girls have brought me nothing but joy. With most of the discipline out of the way, they are my best friends. Since they were little I have told them about courting, and we all decided it would be a better choice than dating. I was honest with them about my own dating mistakes and how I wanted something better for them. They have no real interest in boys yet except as friends, but we know that courting may very well begin in a few years, so we have talked a lot about what courting will look like for us.Here are the Courting Guidelines we came up with....Key Guideline- Pick a Christian who shares your values and values you as a person.1.) Wait until you are of an age in which you would consider marriage. (We have chosen 18 as our minimum age.)2.) Stay away from face-to-face situations in which you are completely alone or in an enclosed area.3.) For private communication, use phone conversations, texts, emails, letters, or walks in public areas.4.) Spend time together on group dates and at each family's house.5.) Be sure to share your views on marriage, religion, money, housework, and children.These are not rules I will enforce with my girls, but guidelines they have chosen. You might notice physical contact is not really addressed in these guidelines, but is discouraged in general by the lack of alone time. My daughters really want to get to know the hearts of the men they court before they even think of that.We look to Song of Songs 4:8 for our inspiration. "Daughters of Jerusalem, I charge you: Do not arouse or awaken love until it so desires."

Tuesday, November 4, 2014

Have you ever Shmooped? You may be asking if this is a new dance move or something, but no, Shmoop is a website that offers some wonderful things for high school homeschoolers. Kids can prepare for the SAT for free or pay $30 for an awesome yearly membership to a SAT program that pre-tests , post-tests, and gives them exactly the review they need. The best thing is it makes everything very amusing and fun.We also love to watch the short Schmoop videos of classic books or Shakespearean plays. My girls watch these on their own time, they love them so much. The videos are so sarcastic and humorous, they help you to remember the plot of the story. These are especially great if you read something that alludes to a classical work and you want your child to have some knowledge of it, but you don't have time to read it just now.Schmoop also offers a free Driver's Education program that prepares your student for the test in your state. It is fun and snarky, so you will get no complaints about it being boring.There are lots of other great things on Shmoop. Try it today. Your kids will thank you. By the way I am in no way affiliated with or payed by Shmoop. These are my own real feelings about this website.

Monday, November 3, 2014

When you work in the ministry, your Sabbath is not really a time of rest. It is more a time of exhaustion. My Sunday starts early with cooking. When you serve around 40 people lunch every day, you better start cooking early. I normally cook chili, spaghetti, soup, or hot dogs; anything I can put into my giant crockpot. My husband, Billy, leaves the house to get everything set up at the church. I get the little ones breakfast and make sure they are dressed for the week's theme. We have a different theme every week. This week was Mexican Sunday.

Then I throw together my own themed outfit and make sure I have my lesson, serving spoons, and plenty of candy for kids saying Bible verses. By the time service is over I have danced and sung with the kids, taught a lesson, served lunch, tried to wolf down my food between dishing up seconds, and helped clean up the sanctuary. My husband has picked up most of the children and adults before service and then taken them home again in our minivan. He has to make several trips.

When we get home, we would like to collapse, but then Billy has to study for his college classes, and I spend the afternoon cleaning the kitchen I destroyed that morning. With supper, youth group for my teen girls, and baths for the little ones, the day is gone quickly.

Sometimes I feel sorry for myself that I can't just show up at church and sit comfortably while listening to an inspirational message, but I know that is not my lot in life. I believe that the Sabbath is more about your soul resting in the fact that you are doing exactly what God wants you to be doing. My body gets tired, but my soul gets its refreshment from watching the children and families in our mission grow into the people God wants them to be. I am so blessed to be apart of God's work in my city.﻿

Saturday, November 1, 2014

My stepmom, Liz, married my dad
when I was pretty young so she was just like a second mom to me. She fought against cancer for many years and
finally lost her battle. She taught me
many important lessons while she was alive, but I’ll just share the one that
means the most to me. She enjoyed each
moment she had and truly focused on the people around her. She would never be trying to do something
else while you talked to her. She always put aside her busy schedule and just loved on her grand-kids when they came over. I’m a busy
mom and sometimes I catch myself trying to multi-task while my kids are talking
to me. Then I think of Liz, and I try my
best to concentrate on the most important thing in life, the people I love.